Ocean's Eleven (2001)

This is a really good movie that does a terrific job of showcasing several extremely talented actors. In Ocean's Eleven, 11 professional criminals come together to rob 3 casinos, totaling over 150 million dollars, in one night. This is a remake of a Rat Pack classic, but is actually pretty original, and I recall that the first time I saw this film, I was incredibly impressed by how clever and intricate the final heist is. It would take far too long to mention every noteworthy actor in this cast, but there are a few standouts. Clooney and Pitt have terrific chemistry, and this is the movie that catapulted them into Hollywood's stratosphere. Matt Damon demonstrates an amazing amount of versatility in playing a role that is not his typical leading man character. Two other actors that I cannot fail to mention are Scotty Caan and Casey Affleck. They are hilarious in this film, and both of them have done a lot of impressive work in other recent films. Affleck was recently nominated for an Oscar, and I would not be surprised if both of them continue to get a lot of excellent opportunities. As I mentioned, the first time I saw Ocean's Eleven, I was amazed at how clever it was. I have since seen the film multiple times, and while I still enjoy it, some parts of their elaborate plan are a little unbelievable. In the last 30 minutes of the film, when the robbery is going down, Ocean's crew banks a lot on people reacting to certain situations in very specific ways, and it all works out, it simply requires a small suspension of disbelief. I think this sounds too harsh though, I really like Ocean's Elever and would recommend it to anyone; the first time you see this movie, you will love it. The dialogue in the film is so fast and so clever, that I cannot help but be impressed with writing. It is no simple feat to make a movie like this funny, but Ocean's Eleven succeeds. This film is on TBS on a semi-regular basis, and my wife watches it with me at least twice a year, so needless to say, we both like the movie a lot. Basic cable plays this film on a regular basis, and I always find it hard to pass on. I give Ocean's Eleven 3 and a half stars.